Bubble-tower grid



Sept. 2, 1930. E, K R ET AL 1,774,581

BUBBLE TOWER GRI D Filed Aug. 1, 1927 IN V EN TO I WI. 091:0 07L. V I

LE WL'ZZkZer A TTORNEYS.

' Patented Sept. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS E. WINKLER AND FRED G. KOCH, OF WICHIIA, KANSAS nuBBLn-rownn GRID Application filed August 1,

' This invention relates to an improvement in bubble caps used in absorption-orfractionating towers and has for its general ob ject to insure a more complete contact be-' tween the liquid on a deck and the vapor or gas bubbling up through the liquid so that the rate andquantity of absorption of gas or vaporby the liqu id shall be materially increased within a given time over the standard type of bubble cap.

, In all bubble caps with which we are familiar, a row of' vertical teeth are provided to break up the escaping gas or vapor into bubbles WhlCll pass upwardly through the liquid on a deck, said bubbles being relativel lar e and only the vapor on the exterior of t e bu ble coming into contact with the liquid. With the ordinary bubble 'ca it has also been found that gas exiting om adjacent caps at an angle of approximately 45 with respect to the deck, meet and entrain liquid between them, the liquid being thrown into the vapor space above the deck and perhaps being entrained through the entire series of decks, thus materially decreasing the absorption or fractionating power of the absorption or fractionating tower or column.

The ordinary bubble cap is still further objectionable as it has been found that frequently a sur 'ng of the liquid back and forth upon eac deck occurs, the gas escaping first on one side of a cap and then oh the other, and in extreme cases first one side of a cap and then the other'isentir'ely uncovered and gas escapes into the vapor space without being subjected to contact with the liquid on the deck. It will be evident that' such surging materially reduces the efliciency of a tower or column. In order to obviate the objectionable features of bubble caps, we have produced a.

structure whichwill-break up the bubbles as they exit from the vertical teeth into many very fine bubbles, thus increasing the quantity of as or'vapor subjected to direct contact wit the liquid. The structure of the invention also serves .to lower the rate of s eed at which the bubbles leave the surface 0 the liquid and consequently materially reduces the geyser efiect of the gas or vapor leading passage is a the tower is increased, it will be evident that 1927. Serial No. 209,973.

to the entrainment of liquid into the vapor space above a deck and also serves to entirely stop the surging of the liquid back and forth across the decks. v

With the general objects named in view, 5' the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the aco companying drawin in which:

Figure 1 is a bro en sectional view of a part of a bubble deckequipped with devices embodying the invention.

Figure 2"is a section on the line II-II of as Figure 1.

igure 3 is a diagrammatic central vertical section through a bubble'tower equipped with ca s embodyln the invention. 1

n the said rawing, where like reference characters identify correspondin' parts in all of the figures, 1 indicates a bu ble tower equipped with decks 3, gas or vapor escape passages 4, and downflows 5 all of common and well known construction fer'red type.\ Mounted upon each gas or vapor escape" ubble cap 6 having internal supporting lugs 6F resting on the upper ends of the collars 4 and being formed with the customary downwardly depending teeth 7 for breaking up the gas or vapor escaping into the liquid on the decks as common n the art. In this connection it will be noted that the bubbles are relatively large and are pro- '85 pelled upwardly at an les' at approximately with reference to t e deck at increasing speeds as they ap roach-the surface. As the rate of speed at w ich a gas is forced through 90. an increasing geyser effect is produced leading to entrainment of liquid, with a resultant increase in surging of the liquid back and forth across the decks. In order to break up the bubbles and prevent surging as above 95 stated, we have found it necessary to provide a secondary perforate or skeleton screen or barrier parallel to the surface of the liquid and pre erabl' about one-fourth-inch below the surface 0 suchliquid, said screen being or of any prev integral with the cap or separable as illus trated,'the cap having lugs 11 to support the plate, said plate being of contour to encircle the bubble caps and having a series of teeth 9 vertically above the slots 10 between the teeth 7 of the bubble caps, to insure the breaking of the relatively large bubbles issuing through said slots 10, into a multitu e of fine bubbles to increase the contact between the,

gas or vapor and liquid, thus making it possible for the tower to handle a greater volume of gas in the same length of time than with the common and ordinary type of bubble cap.

It will be evident from the above description taken in connection with the drawing, that the horizontal grid or perforate, skeleton barrier malres it possible for the bubble caps to be operated at a higher rate of speed than was formerly possible and that it materially reduces the entrainment of liquid, and insures a greater amount of intimate contact between the gas or vapor and the liquid and a more mild even boiling of the entire surface of the liquid on a deck without any wild surging of the liquid leading to a geyser efiect; and it is to be understood that while we have described and claimed the preferred embodiment of the invention, we reserve the right to make all changes properly falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim l. The combination of a bubble cap adapted for use on liquid supporting deck, said cap having a plurality of as or vapor escape passages, of a perforate liarrier above said "passages and below the liquid level and at right angles to the cap for intercepting the path oft'ravel of gas or vapor escaping from said passages.

2. The combination of a bubble cap adaptr ed for use on a liquid supporting deck, said cap having a plurality of gas or vapor escape passages, and a horizontal grid above said passages and below the liquid level to inter cept the path of travel of gas or vapor escaping therefrom. v T

3. The combination of a bubble cap adapted for use on a liquid supporting deck, said cap having a plurality of gas or vapor escape passagesin its vertical walls, and a horizontal 1d rovided with imperforate portions sai gri being below the liquid level an having its imperforate portlons vertically above the gas or vapor escape passages to intercept the path of travel 0 gas or vapor escaping therefrom.

4-. A bubble cap adapted for use on a liquid supporting deck, said cap having a plurality 0 gas or vapor escape passages below the liquid level on said deck, and a slotted grid having the center of its imperforate portures.

LOUIS E. WINKLER. FRED C. KOCH. 

